waters



(No Model.)

J. H. WATERS.

IRON FENCE. N6. 257,194. Patented May 2,1882.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMESH. WATERS, OF DES MOINES, IOWA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO T. L-PALMER AND O. P. MGGRAY, OF SAME PLACE.

lRON FENCE.

} SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 257,194, dated May 2,1882.

Application filed March 7, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMES H. WArEns, of DesMoines, in the county of Polk and State of Iowa, have invented an IronFence, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to save material, labor, and expense inconstructing an ornamental iron fence adapted for door-yards,cemetery-lots, gardens, parks, or fields.

It consists, first, in forming a bend or eye on the end of the curved orarched top or head of a metal picket to adapt a series of pickets to beinterlocked and jointly fastened to a rail; second, in the manner offorming and combining vertical iron bars and horizontal bars or rails toproduce posts and complete fence-panels adapted to receive and retain myinterlocking-pickets, all as hereinafter fully set forth.

Figure 1 of my accompanying drawings is a perspective view of myimproved picket. Fig. 2 is a sectional transverse view of one of mypanels or post and rails combined. Fig. 3 is a top view of one of my toprails having interlocking pickets attached. Fig. 4 is a perspective.view of a complete panel-section. Jointly considered these figuresclearly illustrate the construction and utility of my com pleteinvention.

a represents the arched head of a metal fence-picket that is preferablymade of common round iron bars or heavy wire.

I) is a lateral bend, bight, or loop near the end of the arch, adaptedto admit a horizontal bar or rail of corresponding form and size.

0 is a hook or eye, formed by bending the end of the rod horizontallyand at right angles from the loop 1) toward the vertical body of thepicket.

cl represents the upper end of a post-butt that is fixed in the groundor the coping of a wall upon which a fence is to be placed.

ff are flat metal bars, fixed to the post or wall (1 by means of boltsor in any suitable way so they will project upward.

g is a metal rail clamped between the vertical post-piecesf by means oftransverse bolts in such a manner that it will serve as a stay-' blockin the post, and also as arail to support pickets. It is preferably madeof angle-iron or a fiat bar set at an angle relative to the post,

and perforated to receive the lower ends of the pickets. a. In place ofusing two pieces f to form the post, onemetal bar may be bent double andan ornamental head formed to the post, as shown in Fig. 4.

h is a metal top rail, preferably angle-iron, clamped fast to thevertical bar or bars f by means of shoulders t, formed in the bars f bylateral bends and a transverse bolt. To apply and fasten myinterlocking-pickets to the rails g and h, thus supported by post-piecesf, I simply insert its lower end in a perforation in the lower rail, andthen slip the bend and bight I) over the top rail at the end of a panelor fence, and fasten it to the 'toprail or post by means of a wire or inany suitable way. I then pass the bottom end of a second picket throughthe eye 0 of the first one, and from thence downthrough the lower rail.The third, fourth, and entire series can then be successively appliedand interlocked in the same manner, and firmly fixed in their respectiveplaces and at regular distances apart to the two rails in such a mannerthat they can also be successively withdrawn whenever desired. The railsand posts, combined by means of detachable bolts, can also be readilydetached and removed from the fixed post-butts or wall when it isdesired to remove my fence from one place to another or take it down tostore away or ship.

I claim as my invention 1. A fence-picket having an arched head, a,bight b, and eye or hook a, substantially as shown and described, forthe purposes specified.

2. In a fence, the combination of the upright bars or pieces f, havingbends or shoulders i, and a horizontal rail, h, substantially as shownand described, for the purposes specified.

3. The improved metal fence composed of fixed posts f f, having bendsand shoulders 2', horizontal rails g and h, and a series of picketshaving arched heads a, a bight, b, and a hook or eye, 0, substantiallyas shown and described.

JAMES H. WATERS. Witnesses:

D. G. EDMONDSON, L. M. SANDFORD.

